Animal-trap.



J. W. GATES, DECD. A. 0. GATES, ADMINISTRATRIX.

ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED 001 .4, 1911.

1,091,926. Patented Mar. 31, 1914,

' jw/aa 9 I /a f Z '77 a 4 Z? coLuivlBlA PLANOURAPH co., WASHINGTON, D.c.

JOHN W. GATES, 013 LOS ANGELES,

CALIFORNIA; AMALIA C. GATES ADMINISTBATRIX OF SAID JOHN W. GATES,DECEASED.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

Application filed October 4, 1911. Serial No. 652,677.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. GATES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, State of California,have invented new and useful Improvements in Animal-Traps, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of traps known as box gopher trapsand the object thereof is to provide a trap of improved construction. Iaccomplish this object by the trap described herein and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is a section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 's a top plan ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front end elevation. Fig 4 is a view similar to Fig.1 showing a modified form of keeper.

In the drawings 6 designates the box or body of the trap which ispreferably made of wood and is open at the front and bottom and has alight opening 7 in the rear end. The side walls 8 are nailed to the topwall 9 and have kerfs 10 on the inner side near the front end. In thecenter of the top wall at the front end is a longitudinal slit 11 and atthe rear end near the sides are longitudinal slits 12 and at the centeris an aperture 13. The rear end of the top wall when the parts areassembled rests upon the rear end of the body and is nailed thereto. Anabutment yoke 14 is formed of wire which is U-shaped and has the ends 11 of the wire bent inwardly a short distance so that when the parts areassembled these short ends lie on the top and the sides lie in the kerfsin the side walls and the cross bar extends from side to side at thebottom. The working jaw 15 is U-shaped at its front end. It is formed ofspring wire and has coils 16 near the rear ends. At the rear of thecoils the ends 17 are bent at an obtuse angle to the portion in front ofthe coils and at a dis tance above the coils equal to the thickness ofthe top walls they are again bent at right angles outwardly to formholding portions 18 which, when the parts are assembled rest upon thetop wall and preferably also upon the top of the side wall.

A trigger 19 is pivotally suspended in the aperture in the top wall by apintle wire 20. The top projects above the top wall and is provided witha catch 21. The body of the trigger has a light opening 22 in line withthe opening in the rear end. It also has a keeper opening 23 below thetop wall. A keeper 2 1 is pivotally mounted in the slit in the front endof the top wall by a wire 25 that is passed through a hole runningtransversely through the front end of the top wall. If the body of thekeeper extends rearwardly on the top of the top wall as shown in Figs. 1to 3 the rear end thereof 1s engaged by the catch at the top of thetrigger when the trap is set. If the body of the keeper extendsrearwardly below the top wall the rear end extends into the keeperopenlng in the trigger when the trap is set. At the front end of thekeeper is a catch 26 which engages and holds the front end of theworking jaw elevated when the trap is set. By this construction thestrain of catching the animal is principally borne by the top wall. Thisconstruction enables the operator to easily assemble the parts.

The abutment yoke is placed on the front end of the top. The rear endsof the working jaw are then passed into the slits in the rear end of thetop. The front end of the jaw is then passed into the abutment yoke whenthe two parts are securely held to the top. The side walls are thennailed to the top with the sides of the abutment yoke in the kerfs ofthe sides. The rear end is then nailed in place. The trigger and keeperare then put in place.

By this construction the different parts are completely formed beforethey are assembled.

In the operation of my trap, the hole or burrow of the animal beingtrapped, which in practice is principally the gopher, is opened. Thefree end of the working jaw is raised to the top of the box and is therecaught and held by the keeper. The rear end of the keeper is then caughtand held by the trigger, when the trap is set, and the open end isplaced in the open end of the burrow. The dirt is then packed around thebox so as to prevent the light entering the burrow except through thehole in the rear of the box. When the gopher in passing through hisburrow discovers light entering it he fills his pockets with dirt andgoes to the place that the light is entering to close the place up. Inso doing he pushes the body of the trigger rearwardly thereby releasingthe keeper which then permits the working jaw to strike the gopher onthe back and pinion him between the jaw and the abutment where he isheld until removed.

By putting a bottom in the box at the front end the abutment can bedispensed with; By this construction the trigger can be set fine orcoarse as desired. It will be observed that either form of keeper can beused with the other parts. When the body of the keeper is on the top ofthe box the operator can tell by looking whether the trap is sprung.When the body of the keeper is under the top, by placing a finger on thetop of the trigger and gently pressing it backward he can tell whetherthe trap is sprung.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. An animaltrap comprising a box open at one end and having a lightopening in the other end, and a central slit in the front end and twoslits in the rear end and a central aperture, all in the top wall; aU-shaped spring wire working jaw having the sides formed into coils nearthe ends thereof and the ends being bent at an obtuse angle to the frontportion and then outwardly, the rear ends passing through the slits inthe rear end of the top wall when the parts are assembled and lying uponthe top wall; a trigger pivotally mounted in the central aperture in thetop wall, said trigger having keeper engaging means; and a keeper.

pivotally mounted in the front end of the top wall and having arearwardly extending body engaging the trigger when set, said keeperhaving a catch at its front end to engage Vand hold the working jawelevated when the trap is set.

2. In a trap of the character described sitioned for use to the terminalends of thev working jaw; a U-shaped abutment yoke near the open frontand extending upwardly through the top of the box and then inwardly;and. a trigger and keeper mounted in the top of the box, said keeperbeing adapted to hold theworking jaw positioned for use and the triggerbeing adapted to hold thekeeper positioned for use.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 19th day of September, 1911.

JOHN W. GATES.

Witnesses:

G. E. HARPHAM- FRANK VVATERFIELD. I V

topics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

